Priest tells trial of 'weakness' that led to sex with murder victim

A Roman Catholic priest told a murder trial yesterday that weakness and "lustfulness" had led him into an affair with a young Polish student.

Father Gerard Nugent, 63, gave details at the high court in Edinburgh of how he and Angelika Kluk, 23, started a sexual relationship after she moved into the chapel house of St Patrick's church in Anderston in Glasgow.

The priest was giving evidence for a fourth day at the trial of Peter Tobin, 60, who is accused of raping and murdering Ms Kluk and hiding her body under the floor of the church in September last year. Mr Tobin denies the charges.

Fr Nugent, who resigned from the parish two weeks ago, had admitted in earlier evidence that he and Ms Kluk had been sexually intimate three or four times. He also admitted to being an alcoholic.

He told the court yesterday that if they had been watching TV together Angelika would give him a goodnight kiss when she went up to bed, as one would with a family member. "On the night it happened she invited me in [to her room]," he said. "We began to kiss seriously and it led to sexual activity." He told the court he took responsibility for what had happened. "It was my weakness, my lustfulness."

The court heard that after Ms Kluk's death, Fr Nugent had told police that she had instigated the affair. Donald Findlay, QC, for the defence, read from a statement that Fr Nugent had given to detectives on October 1 last year, in which he had said "it was she who pushed everything".

Fr Nugent agreed he had said that, and that it differed from his evidence.

"Angela is not here to speak for herself and I didn't want anybody to think badly of Angela. That is why I wanted to take a position that I was completely responsible for the sexual activity," he told the court. He agreed it was "a mutual thing".

Earlier Mr Findlay had put it to him that "if anybody then sought to blame a girl who could not speak for herself, it would be a despicable act in extreme. A despicable act by a despicable individual and coward and a liar. Who am I talking about, Father Nugent?" The priest replied: "You are talking about me."

Ms Kluk's body was found on September 29 last year under the floor near the confession box.

Mr Tobin is accused of attacking her at the church or elsewhere between September 24 and 29. It is alleged he covered her mouth with tape, bound her hands and raped her. He is accused of concealing her body after beating her on the head with a piece of wood, or something similar, and striking her repeatedly with a knife.

He is also charged with trying to pervert the course of justice by giving different names. He denies a breach of the peace at the church between July and September last year. In a special defence read to the jury, Mr Tobin admits having had sex with Ms Kluk with her consent.